Assistant's Images

[silvercityphotography]

<p>I'm shooting a wedding this weekend and have an assistant helping out. She is another photographer who is just starting out and wants to use some to the photos that she gets in her portfolio and on her Facebook page. While she will only be using the images that she gets, she isn't the one who was hired for the wedding so I don't really want her putting her watermark on the images. How would you handle this?</p>

[irusan]

<p>I would have her assign the copyright to you (in writing) and then you license the images to her under whatever terms you both agree to. Technically, you can grant the license under any terms you want once you have the copyright but this is an area where I wold make sure that the person assisting me and I agree to the terms first.</p>

<p>That way you hold the copyright to the images that she shot which is also important if you are planning on selling the images to the bridal couple and/or their guests.</p>

[douglas lee]

<p>What Rob said. You want some sort of work-for-hire agreement with her that gives you the copyright. Without such an agreement, she would own the copyright of any images she captured.</p>

[shawngibson]

<p>Not a wedding photographer here, but are you asking her to say the photographs you took are your images? If so, I'm glad I'm not a wedding photographer lol. Maybe she can pay you $100 for each of the good images she took while you were adjusting your flash and then she can use her own watermark?</p>

<p>Why wouldn't you let her use a watermark on PERSONAL pages/self-promotion? Are you paying her lots of money to assist you?</p>

[steve m smith]

<blockquote>

<p>Not a wedding photographer here, but are you asking her to say the photographs you took are your images?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Hopefully not because that would be fraud. They would (or should) still be credited to the original photographer (where appropriate) but all rights of usage are passed to the main photographer. i.e. the employer of the assistant.</p>

 

[Aoresteen]

<blockquote>

<p>Not a wedding photographer here, but are you asking her to say the photographs you took are your images?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I think Shawn meant:<br>

"Not a wedding photographer here, but are you asking her to say the photographs <em><strong>she </strong></em>took are your images?"</p>

[shawngibson]

<p>Yep, Anthony...tried to fix it, sorry. The only reason I responded here is because on several occasions in the past, I helped a friend, sometimes with weddings, and basically I was asked to give her my cards and remove myself from the process. I did, but it made me realize I'm neither a business person nor a newbie, so people looking for exposure should both be careful, and be willing to be strong, and go in to the shoot taking good photos, expecting compensation, which for me means a note that I took the photo, nothing more...if that makes sense...</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>Seth -<br>

Is she working for you or is she a friend of the bride / groom? </p>

<p>If she is working for you - then it's a contract / work for hire situation and she is representing your company - she signs a piece of paper saying you have the copyright and she has the right to use the images in her portfolio.</p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[marc_henry1]

<p>Seth,</p>

<p> I read your post with interest. You seem to be starting out in the industry as you state you and your assistant are both not vastly experienced in wedding photography. To start with - how much are you paying this assistant ?<br>

Let me know if you think I am wrong but you seem to be scared of your assistant - are your images not quite as good as theirs ? If they are why do you fear people seeing them ? Giving up copyright is something no photographer should be asked to do - especially by someone who should know better. <br>

As you asked for advice I will give you mine - either work alone and only honestly sell your own work or honestly say you work with other creative people.</p>

<p>Regards,</p>

<p>Marc</p>

[silvercityphotography]

<p>No, I'm not scared of my assistant and I don't sell other people's work as my own.</p>

[mitch_w1]

<p>Sign a contract with her. Allow her to use the photos with her watermark but to prominently note in her blog, facebook and website that the images were taken while second shooting for Seth Kolasinski. </p>

[silvercityphotography]

<p>Thanks Mitch. That's the kind of idea that I've been looking for.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>Also, make sure the client knows your assistant will be using images from the wedding for her own promotion - I have a special clause in my contract for that precise purpose. And for [insert deity of your choice here]'s sake, DONT use Facebook - those images will then be circulated everywhere, with no control over who gets them and how they use them...are you sure you want to put your reputation (which you would!) on the line like this?</p>

[steve m smith]

<blockquote>

<p>Giving up copyright is something no photographer should be asked to do</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I think that it is very reasonable to give up the rights to images if you were hired as an assistant/second photographer. </p>

[daverhaas]

<p>Marios - </p>

<p>Whether we like it or not as photographers, Facebook is very real and is here to stay (for the next week or 2 anyhow) - </p>

<p>Many people use it as a network, communication and marketing tool. </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[kerri_albano]

<p>I've worked for two other photographers this year as an assistant. Both have given me the permission to post images I took to my website and to facebook with the understanding I can not sell those images (I refer anyone that asks to the photographer I worked for) and I add to my watermark "second shooter for ______" . I also add a link to their website out of common courtesy.</p>

[kris-bochenek]

<p>not a pro or a wedding photographer here but last time I shot as a second shooter I was allowed to use those images for self promotion but with a note.. © Kris Bochenek images taken while shooting for XYZ .INC maybe this is a way out.</p>

[steve m smith]

<blockquote>

<p>While she will only be using the images that she gets, she isn't the one who was hired for the wedding so I don't really want her putting her watermark on the images. How would you handle this?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I personally wouldn't allow her to use the images in any way if I was employing her.</p>

[silntbob333]

<p>So what you guys are saying is, the second shooter works for you so you should get the copyrights? If you follow this same logic then since you, as the primary shooter, are working for the bride and groom they should get the copyrights to the photos and have final say on how and where you use them. I mean they hired you and helped you get more experience. </p>

[Jerry_]

<p>Good take on the copyright and who gets to do what....</p>

<p>But has the bride-and-groom (in team formation) agreed to the posting of their wedding images on the Internet? Second shooter might need a neat release for doing so... As should the first shooter....</p>

<p>Some couples like the attention; some couples like events to remain private. Events like their wedding, for example</p>

<p>.</p>

<p> </p>

[dd_toth]

<p>This questions is asked a lot and it's not unusual for a second shooter to just hand over the images and not have any credit for them. For all the times I have second shot that is exactly what happened and for different photographers. The photographer was hired to do the job by the bride and groom, not the second shooter. The photographer pays the second shooter to help with the wedding coverage. Some photographers don't mind if the second shooter takes some initiative and do some posing with the the bridal party. Other photographers just want them at their side shooting different angles of their posing and maybe getting some detail shots, etc...</p>

<p>Now you need to ask yourself this. As the bride and groom who hired you, they like you and your work. If they saw images of themselves on another photographers website, would they be okay with it? They hired you, not whoever this other photographer is. So you better ask them if it's okay too. I know I wouldn't be okay with it.</p>

<p>If it was me, the hired photographer, I wouldn't want you posting them online. I was hired for this job, I get the rights to advertise myself with it. I own the copyright. You might think that all your photos will be used but in reality maybe only 30 to 100 shots will be given to the couple. They are filler shots. There may be a few great ones in there, but that is the benefit of second shooting. Gaining experience to see the moments and being able to capture them in such a fast paced event. Learning from the photographer of how they deal with every situation that comes up during wedding coverage. That's the trade off. Eventually all the experience you gain from second shooting you will be able to be hired for your own wedding and become competition. That's the reality of it. That's why I get to benefit from these publicly and you don't. Anyways this is how I would deal with it, and I think that is fair. This is how things have been for me as a second shooter and I have no arguments there, I understand and see the value.<br>

Hope this helped :)<br>

DD</p>

[steve m smith]

<blockquote>

<p>If you follow this same logic then since you, as the primary shooter, are working for the bride and groom they should get the copyrights to the photos and have final say on how and where you use them. I mean they hired you and helped you get more experience.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Actually... Yes. I do believe that. The images should belong to the married couple who hired you to take them. They are not the same as photographs you may take for your own use.</p>

[mitch_w1]

<p>In response to DD Toth - to each their own but I would not second shoot for a photographer that did not allow me to use my images in the controlled manner I suggested earlier in this thread. Not to say I think it's wrong for a primary photographer to work this way with his seconds - it's obviously their call - it's just not for me. I also know for a fact that my photos on average make up approximately 30% of what is turned over to the client, not just 30 - 100 shots as you suggest. A really good second photographer is providing much more than "filler" shots. A good percentage of my photos get chosen for the album as well. But then I am often shooting the guys while the primary shoots the ladies so that is completely understandable to me. I provide a valuable service to the primary photographer as well as the clients. My motto as a second photographer is to always be where the primary isn't - often meaning locations but at the very least meaning angles. </p>